Accessible, yet Vivid, Jeremy Smith’s ‘For What It’s Worth’
Composer Jeremy Smith has just released For What It’s Worth, a short 19 minute piano album spanning several years of compositions and played excellently by Mary-Victoria Voutsas. Smith has made a name for himself recently with career highlights such as being named the Executive Director of the Shoals Symphony at UNA, having several works published by RWS Music, and receiving several commissions including an upcoming opera in 2026. This album slots nicely into his oeuvre – accessible, yet vivid.
The first piece, Away With Words, is perhaps one of the more dramatic ones on the album and has a very limited motivic scope. In the program notes Smith says that this piece was written the day it was recorded, with some material being adapted from an earlier work. This piece sets the style for the whole album: it is heavily influenced by minimalism, think Riley/Glass more than Adams/Pärt. The music invites you to be still and take it as it comes, noticing the slight variations from phrase to phrase. Structurally it is one of the more successful pieces on the album, with Voutsas playing admirably throughout.
The titular song is second on the album, and the longest at almost 5 minutes. This one is more melodic, though still with a restricted harmonic palette. This piece takes its time developing, a feature that Smith mentions in his program notes. The blending of the sections is smoother than the first piece’s, but I would appreciate some further developments. Call It What You Will is the third track and my favorite on the album. Opening with a chorale, it moves into counterpoint reminiscent of Schumann’s Album for the Young. This piece remains gentle throughout with a reverential mood. What makes it so successful is that it embodies the wonderful oxymoronic tension in a minimalistic piece. There are restricted elements to work with, but they must be varied enough to keep the listener’s interest. This piece strikes the perfect balance of both.
Cold Shoulder is the penultimate track with more arpeggiation than the other pieces. The program notes are a bit cryptic, talking of the inherent danger of opening up to someone close to you. They include the following poem:
I think the last time we saw each other
I was trying to decide what I wanted you to remember me by
and all I could offer was a cold shoulder.
This piece certainly feels the most personal of the album. Special mention to Voutsas on this piece in particular for taking care with each phrase. The undulating rhythms never feel rote and always have a musical shape. Last on the album is Drive Me There, a piece that was written during Smith’s stay at Azule – an artist residency program in North Carolina. It reflects the love of the couple who spent decades building Azule. This piece fits in nicely with the rest of the album’s style – restrained and unfussy.
Overall, this album is a success for Smith and is very interesting to me in his overall output. Since I first encountered his music several years ago, it seems as if Smith’s work has become more concentrated. The pocket opera The Call and song cycle Drug Store Train Trip have glimpses of this style but are in a different vein. Perhaps this is due to the nature of setting words to music, but perhaps it reflects a larger shift in style. Either way, I am very curious to see what he writes next. For What It’s Worth is available to stream on Spotify and other services.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Daniel Krenz is a conductor and composer currently living in Nashville. Currently he serves as the Music Director for the Blueprint Ensemble, a collective dedicated to playing and placing Art music, both new and old, in exciting and refreshing contexts.
